How to Choose the Right Bowling Ball

For beginners and most casual
bowlers, the house balls offered by bowling alleys are the most commonly used
balls. Unless you are serious about
bowling, it isn’t worth the extra expense of purchasing your own ball. Even if you are a casual bowler, there are
some bowling ball features you should take into consideration when picking the
right bowling ball, such as the size of the finger holes, the spacing between
the finger holes and the weight of the bowling ball. Professional or serious bowlers, on the other
hand, will want to purchase a customised ball that can be completely
personalised to their individual requirements and style of bowling.

What are the considerations when picking a bowling ball?

1. Weight

Bowling regulations state that
a bowling ball must be no more than 16 pounds and 8.5 inches in diameter. Although there are no regulations on how
light a ball can be, the lightest balls available are the 6 pound balls which
are generally used by children and senior bowlers who have problems with their
backs or wrists.

The general recommendation is
to pick a ball that is about 10% of your body weight. For example, if you weigh 100 pounds then you
should be using a 10 pound bowling ball. Some people, especially professional bowlers, tend
to pick the heaviest ball they can comfortably bowl with as a heavier ball can
offer an added advantage. That said
bowling with a ball that is too heavy can increase the risk of injury. Additionally, your skill level and bowling
style will also determine the weight of the bowling ball that is best suited to
your individual requirements.

Ideally, start with a bowling
ball that is 10% of your body weight and experiment with heavier and lighter
balls to see which one suits your style of bowling best.

2.
Finger Holes

There are three factors to consider when examining the finger holes: the
size of the holes, the distance between the holes and the number of holes. If you are picking a ball from the house
selection, then you only have the first two options to consider.

Most bowling balls have three holes however ten pin bowling rules allow for
up to five holes to be drilled into a customised ball. Although the ball’s trajectory depends on a
variety of factors such as the delivery, use of gravity and the friction from
the lane, the number of holes, the position of the holes and the size of the
holes will also have some bearing on the dynamics of the ball and how it rolls
after delivery. This is because they
affect the balance of the ball.

House balls generally come with two or three options for finger spacing and the
size of the finger holes. When picking a
house ball, you will have to accept the ball with the best fit for your hand
and accept a less than optimal fit if the holes and spacing aren’t quite right
for your hand. With your own customised
ball, you can have the holes and spacing drilled according to your individual
specifications. Having a ball with
finger holes that are spaced and sized according to your fingers not only
improves your bowling game but also reduces your likelihood of developing
blisters or straining your tendons during the game.

- Finger spacing: to determine
the optimal finger spacing for your hand, insert your thumb into the thumb hole
and spread your hand across the surface of the ball. Position your middle and ring finger across
the other two holes. The knuckles of
these fingers should be resting directly over the holes. This will help you pick a ball with the
optimum hole positioning for a conventional
grip. An alternative grip is the finger grip
where your middle and ring fingers are only inserted into the ball as far as one
knuckle deep. You should determine the
finger hole positioning of your ball according to the type of grip you prefer.

- Finger hole size: the optimal
finger hole size should be one that allows your fingers and thumb to slide out
of the holes easily but not too easily. Holes
that are too small may result in your fingers getting stuck during
delivery. Holes that are too large can
result in the ball slipping out of you hand before you are ready to release
it.

3. Material

Bowling balls are classified
under four different categories: plastic or polyester, urethane, reactive resin
and particle. Which type of ball is best
suited for your individual requirements depends on your bowling style and skill
level.

- Plastic/polyester: most house
balls fall under this category therefore if you are picking a house ball, you
don’t really have a choice on the material of your ball. These balls are great for straight bowlers,
spare shots, dry alleys, and are the recommended ball for beginners and occasional
bowlers because of the ease of control. They
are also pretty hardy which makes them a great beginner bowler ball and an
ideal house ball. Unfortunately, these
balls are limited if you prefer to deliver hook shots, but they are also the
most affordable with a price range from $50 to $100.

- Urethane: these balls have a surface
offering higher friction which is great if you have a tendency to hook the
ball. These are the recommendation for
moderately advanced bowlers because they offer a good compromise between price (typically
between $100 and $150) and hooking capability.

- Reactive resin: these balls
are noted for their stronger striking power and increased skid.

- Particle: made from a mixture
of urethane and resin, particle balls offer the combined benefits of
controllability, smoothness and power.
They are generally recommended for oily lanes however newer combinations
are being developed to increase their versatility.

The latter two options are the most expensive types of bowling balls,
costing anywhere between $100 and $275. They
are the choice of experienced bowlers because they provide greater power and
better hooking results. For the less
experienced bowlers, these balls are recommended only if you are accustomed to
hooking.

To pick the best bowling ball for your requirements, you need to be aware of
your skill level and your style of bowling.
If you are a beginner or casual bowler, you can generally get by with
using the house balls as long as you select one with the appropriate weight,
finger hole size and finger hole spacing for your individual requirements. More serious bowlers and professional bowlers
will need to purchase a personalised ball to maximise their bowling performance
and minimise the possibility of injury resulting from the use of a poorly
selected ball.